We have been in talks recently on a consulting project with a highly successful Multinational Organisation (MNC), in Malaysia that is facing increasing competition and disruption from many areas. Senior leaders are aware that change is required and imperative and yet while the organisation continues to thrive, there is resistance to change from the employees.

Establishing the business case or reason for change within an organisation requires a clear narrative that is set from the start. It is crucial to convey the ways in which it will be of benefit to the shareholders, employees and customers. It is inevitable that as a part of the reorganisation, there will be restructure and roles that become redundant. One of the challenges this organisation faces in making changes, is how to do it in a way that accords with the Malaysian culture. One of the methodologies being used to translate the message of change is playback theatre - where actors play different roles and demonstrate different scenarios that staff can relate to. Some of the advantages of using theatre are that it helps raise issues without being personal, allows employees to share the experiences, creates dialogue and does not make them feel vulnerable.


When consulting on projects like this one, the cultural context needs to be considered in the scenario. Another client we worked with many years ago that was restructuring, often chose big town hall style meetings to announce change however after considering the cultural context opted instead for large picture board sequences to visually demonstrate the change. The story boards were a great success and led to smoother transition.

When embarking on the journey of change, it is useful to take into consideration the importance of culture in the change plan so as to maximise the chance of success. Rather than just executing, our client has considered the best way to implement change that also resonates with their employees and their national culture.